Riddle Me This
by Xoxoroxas
Summary: An AkuRoku giftfic for baileymermaid95. Roxas is dealing with an abusive stepmother, having to take care of his sister, and a dad that's never around. Dark themes, rape, abuse. A bit rushed.


***Hey! It's Xoxoroxas, yet again. I read baileymermaid95's fanfic, Life Is Hell (which I recommend all of you go out and read) and she was asking for a gift fic. So I decided to procrastinate and write her one. So, I stalked her profile, looking for inspiration, and I read her riddles. And it hit me, an awesome idea. So, this is totally dedicated to her. And she doesn't like the f-word, so all f-word things are [F].***

***I own only whatever you happen to find in my room and some stuff in the basement.***

I swiped my blonde hair out of my eyes and I spotted that spiky mess of red hair chasing me.

'Oh no…He knows." I thought, speeding up. But I forced myself to slow back down. 'He probably just wants to tell me a riddle.'

We had this thing going since we were really little, Riddle Wars. We tried to find riddles to stump each other.

'Shit, I don't have one.' I cursed.

Axel easily walked beside me, and I forced myself not to limp. I looked up at him and saw the mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Okay, riddle me this: 'A man was to be sentenced, and the judge told him, "You may make a statement. If it is true, I'll sentence you to four years in prison. If it is false, I'll sentence you to six years in prison." After the man made his statement, the judge decided to let him go free. What did the man say?'" Axel asked.

"Well, that's easy. He said 'I'll get six years in prison.' The judge couldn't say it was a lie, or else it would become the truth, but if he said it was the truth, then the man would be lying." I said, trying to breathe normally.

Since Axel is my best friend, he'd pick up on anything wrong with me. I have to act normally.

"Okay, riddle me this: 'I have forests, but no trees. I have lakes, but no water. I have roads, but no cars. What Am I?'" I asked, hoping he wouldn't notice that I re-used it.

"Rox, you used that in first grade. It's way too easy, a map. What's up?" He asked.

I sighed. I just wanted him not to be worrying about me all day.

"It happened again." I whispered quietly, letting myself limp.

Axel seemed to notice this, and frowned.

"What'd she do this time?" He asked, used to my step-mother's abuse.

"While Dad was out…she had her boyfriend over…and she almost had him…take me." I whispered with difficulty.

Axel looked shocked, his almond eyes widening.

"But then…that's not why you're limping, right?" Axel asked, worried.

"No, I stalled until Dad almost got home. She had to get her boyfriend out fast. But he had to leave again, and you know she took all those fighting classes. She's almost as strong as Tifa." I said, looking down.

"Roxas, I've told you a million times. Get the [F] out of there. Now." Axel said seriously.

"I know, but…Xion. I've got to protect her." I said quietly, referring to his younger sister.

Xion was two years younger than me, but I still held his hands over her ears when our step-mother and their Dad fought. I still protected her with my life.

"I know, I know. But you could take her with you." Axel reminded him.

"Only to get split up by the foster-care system? No. I'll stay." I said quietly, his eyes on the ground.

"Okay. But you know where to go if it's too much." Axel said.

"The Tower." I nodded.

"Okay. Later Rox!" Axel yelled, waving.

*A Few Weeks Later*

Once again, I'm limping down the hallways.

'Why am I even here? I should be at the Tower. Or in an alley. Or dead.' I thought to myself, not paying attention to anything.

"Okay, riddle me this, Rox: 'A man and-.'" Axel was cut off by me lifting my hand to stop him.

"Ax. You win the war. I'm going to the Tower." I said quietly, my voice strained.

It wasn't until I got to the Tower that I realized that Axel had followed me.

"Roxas…you wouldn't just quit the war…what happened?" He asked, sitting beside me.

I felt like being emo and curling up in a corner.

"Nothing." I said, my voice sounding hollow.

"Roxas..." Axel trailed off, trying to put a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't [F]ing touch me! Just…go." I screamed the first part, but whispered that last pathetically.

"Rox, just tell me." Axel pleaded, making me meet his clover eyes.

"I can't. She told me she'd kill Xion if I told anyone." I said mechanically, looking blankly into space.

"Roxas, we can save her! Reno will adopt you if you end up in the foster care system. Just…please tell me." He begged.

I took a deep breath.

"Her boyfriend was back. I couldn't stall enough this time." I mumbled, staring at the ground far beneath our dangling feet.

"You mean he…raped you?" Axel asked, and I could hear the utter shock in his voice, though I didn't look up.

"Yes." I said quietly.

"But…that…it can't happen to you! You're my best friend!" Axel exclaimed.

"What, does that give me some extra protection? Cuz if it does I hope it'll kick in soon." I said bitterly.

"I'm so sorry it happened to you, Roxas." Axel said, crushing me to his chest.

"So am I, Ax." I mumbled.

*The Next Day*

"Okay Xion, we'll be staying at Axel's until our step-mother actually looks for us, or when Dad realizes we're gone." I explained to my sister as we set up our stuff in Axel's guest room.

"I only had the one extra bed, but there's a couch in there for one of you." Axel said through the door.

"Kay Ax, thanks!" Xion yelled, stuffing all her clothes into her two drawers. I had already claimed the top two dresser drawers as my own, so she was stuck with the last two.

"I'm gonna go talk to Ax, you try to sleep." I ordered. She hadn't been getting much sleep lately, seeing how Dad was gone every night and our step-mother was... busy with me, so I couldn't hold her. In fact, I made it worse, screaming when our step-mother hit me.

"Kay." She nodded, climbing under the blanket on the bed.

I walked out and sat next to Axel.

*A Year Later*

No one had come for us.

Dad had called, but I told him what our step-mother did to me and he never called again.

I was sitting up on the Tower, eating an ice cream, and Axel walked up. I smiled.

"Hey Ax, riddle me this: 'What is broken every time it's spoken?'" I asked.

"Well, that's easy. Silence. Now, you riddle me this: 'I am more beautiful than anything, but I don't think it's true. I have but two friends. I'm loved by someone, but I have no clue who it is. And I'll never solve this myself.'" Axel said mysteriously.

Now, THAT may have been the weirdest riddle I've ever heard.

'The [F]?' I asked myself, thinking hard.

"I don't know." I finally said.

Axel grinned in victory.

"It's you, dummy." He smirked.

"But then…who loves me?" I asked, confused.

"Me." He said quietly, kissing my lips softly.

I gasped quietly, but then closed my eyes and leaned into the kiss, smiling.

"Lamest. Riddle. Ever." I said when we broke away. He smirked.

"Then I'll give you a refund." He said, leaning down to kiss me again.

"Rawr." Xion said, startling us apart. She giggled and sat beside us.

"Rox, your ice cream's melting." She said, pointing to my forgotten sea-salt heaven.

"Oh right!" I exclaimed, licking it.

"I bet you forgot cause Axel's face tasted better." She said evilly, causing me to drop my ice cream off the Tower.

"I bet it did, now if you'll excuse us, I have some unfinished business with your brother." Axel said, grabbing my arm and leading me away, talking at top speed.

"Okay, so riddle me this…"

***Wow, another Fanfic that went a totally different direction from what I thought it would. Oh well, I like it this way. I apologize for the crappy riddle that Axel said at the end, but I couldn't find any riddles with love, and I didn't have any in my head either. I command you all to look at Concrete House of Cards! Look at it! Look at it!***


End file.
